Jack Northrop founds Northrop Aircraft in Hawthorne California; designs P-61 Black Widow night fighter and YB-49 flying wing. Grumman Aircraft (founded 1929 by Leroy Grumman) builds F4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat, F-14 Tomcat.

B-2 Spirit stealth bomber program (Advanced Technology Bomber) awarded to Northrop; flying-wing design draws directly on Jack Northrop's 1940s YB-49.

B-2 Spirit first flight at Palmdale CA Jul 17 1989; revolutionary stealth bomber; production initially planned 132 aircraft, capped at 21 post-Cold War.

Northrop acquires Grumman Aircraft for $2.1B forming Northrop Grumman; combines stealth/bomber expertise with carrier-aircraft heritage.

B-2 Spirit stealth bomber enters operational service with USAF; production capped at 21 aircraft

Northrop Grumman acquires Litton Industries for $5.1B then Newport News Shipbuilding $2.6B same year; vertically integrates electronics/shipbuilding. Newport News spun off as part of HII 2011.

Acquires TRW for $7.8B; major space + electronics expansion adding satellite buses, ICBM ground systems, missile defense.

Wins KC-X aerial-refueling tanker contract (with EADS) over Boeing; protested and overturned 2008-2010; Boeing wins re-compete 2011 with KC-46.

Wins Long Range Strike Bomber (LRSB) contract; future B-21 Raider, defeats Boeing/LMT team

Acquires Orbital ATK for $7.8B; adds solid-rocket motors, satellites, ammunition (now Northrop Grumman Space Systems)

Wins Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (Sentinel ICBM) EMD contract worth $13.3B sole-source after Boeing withdrew

Selected as IBCS (Integrated Air & Missile Defense Battle Command System) prime; enters Army full-rate production 2024 — first true joint air-defense fire-control network.

B-21 Raider unveiled at Palmdale ceremony Dec 2 2022; first new US bomber in 30+ years; production planned 100+ aircraft at $700M+ unit cost.

Records $1.6B pre-tax charge on B-21 production-lot fixed-price contract; cost growth accepted to preserve program

B-21 Raider first flight at Edwards AFB Nov 10 2023; flight test campaign begins on schedule

Sentinel ICBM declared in critical Nunn-McCurdy breach Jan 18 2024; cost grows from $96B to $131B+ (37% over baseline) due to launch facility/silo civil works underestimation.

Wins Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) full development with $3.3B contract; replaces Boeing's GMD

Pentagon certifies Sentinel program continuation post-Nunn-McCurdy Jul 8 2024; restructures schedule slipping to 2030+ IOC. Cost cap rebaselined ~$141B.

B-21 enters Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP); first operational delivery to Ellsworth AFB targeted 2026-2027

GBI replacement: NGI critical design review milestone reached; first deployable interceptors targeted 2028